Resilient Team

May your weekend be as relaxing as Crickets. Such a life. She has earned her name of snuggle bug.

This week, I have had an opportunity which has caused me to pause and reflect on the journey of my career. I am the Director of Resilient Solutions,Inc. and our expansion six months ago which now includes: Resilient Center for Grieving Families. Five years ago our office began with me and one other therapist that I invited to join me. I love the word Resilient and wanted to create an office with that in the name. Although I believe our clients have the wisdom inside themselves - Solutions feels hopeful and people are searching for solutions to their challenges. Thus, Resilient Solutions, Inc. was formed. I recall the furniture arriving in the morning and a client scheduled that evening. I was so excited. Being a therapist in various settings: Moran Eye Center, LDS Family Services, Lifeline Adolescent Treatment Center, and internships at: The Sharing Place, Caring Connections, & Cancer Wellness House; to have my own private practice office was a dream come true. In the past five years, we have grown to twelve therapists, a colleague that co-leads our Hope Group, and an intern. We have also doubled the size of our office. Each of the therapists in our office is someone that I consider a friend, colleague, and have so much respect for their expertise. They each contacted me to become a part of our team. I carry a full case-load, generally 25 + clients each week as well as several groups, management of the office and supporting the other therapists in their practice. I love each aspect. My specialty is trauma, grief and loss. I also usually have some couples on my caseload and some children. Usually, the children I see have experienced a loss in their family -- death or divorce, generally. I also enjoy working with women who are experiencing depression and anxiety. Sometimes I am asked if my clients are blind. Right now, I have one client that is visually impaired. The fact that I am blind is insignificant in my practice, I believe. Generally, after the introduction of the dog in the corner; we get to the business at hand of their sharing their story.

I wanted to create an office that was comfortable. My hope is its a place where people can come and feel a refuge from the storms of their life. A place where they can leave feeling like a little bit of their burden has been lifted. The music as you enter our office is a compilation of each of the therapist's favorites. We celebrate birthdays and enjoy lunches together. My hope is that each of my colleagues know each time they come to the office how much they are appreciated and such an important part of our Resilient Team.

I love the opportunity to create events for our clients and the community. This next Monday, December 6th we will have Nurturing Yourself this Holiday for women who are grieving. We will have a special lunch, self-care guidance from a yoga instructor, and an opportunity for these women to share with one another. Our Grief and the Holidays evening was also an opportunity for those in our community to come, share - hang a candy cane on our tree in memory of their loved one and feel support. I am really excited for an event coming up in February with my dear friend, Corena: Renew & Restore which will be at our office in the morning and in the afternoon at Infusions Yoga & Pilates Studio . This will be an opportunity for therapists to receive six continuing education credits while learning more about Healthy Self-Care and Preventing Compassion Fatigue.

A new therapist recently asked me how I built my practice
, I said: build it, be passionate and they will come. (Can you tell I like the movie - Field of Dreams)

I Appreciate

the privilege of a big smile on a 12-year-old girl's face when I shared with her where her artwork from our session was hanging.

Open House

Tonight, we had a little open house for our upstairs - office expansion.  Cricket put on her work harness to greet the first guests.  For some reason, upstairs she gets really excited and likes to roll around when she is off harness.   I think she had some fun play times while we were getting it put together. It was good to see that when she needs to be serious and in her work clothes, she can! 

This is downstairs and one of Cricket's favorites places to be.  She can watch when people are coming in and also enjoy seeing outside. 

This is a hallway I go through countless times in a day.  Each time I walk into the waiting area to greet a client, I walk through this hallway.   I received a very special package in the mail from my dear friend, Susan .  It is a beautiful painting she did of Lainhalu in Kaui (probably need to go check my spelling).  After much contemplation, I chose to put it in this special hallway that I frequent so many times each day. 

This is a close-up of the picture that she painted.  I will share the story of her sharing this beautiful painting with me many times as clients comment on it.  Nature is nourishing and will bring much peace and comfort to those in our office.  Namaste, dear friend. 

It will be great for Steve and I to spend some energy on something besides the office expansion for the next while.  Although, we both agree we really enjoy creating in this way.  The fountain came, and will need to be returned.  It is noisy and not beautiful water sounds - rather the motor of the fountain.  NOT soothing!  

Next office event is the company party on Saturday.  At last count, 52 people in our backyard.  We will cook salmon, chicken, and meatballs and make lemonade. Everyone will bring a side dish or dessert.  Fun to see the variety that will come, yummy in so many ways.   

All in a Guide Dog's Day, #6

I think a shopping experience at Costco on a Saturday challenges many of a guide dog's (and persons) skills. As we walked in, this man was walking towards us and said can I say hi! Steve and I both said, hi to him - hoping he meant us. He was focused on Cricket and bent down and began to pet her and try to get her all excited. Steve said nicely, she's working so please don't pet her. He continued on and we realized our best option was to walk (run) away. Costco is so crowded on Saturdays so Cricket has many opportunities to use her skill of maneuvering around crowds. She knows 'follow' and is able to follow Steve through the store. **This is a command that we must be careful with because the intent is not for a guide dog to simply follow someone. Cricket needs to be listening to me. So, as she is aware she is following Steve may also clue me in on an "L" or a "R" so that I can tell Cricket which way to go. If it is super busy, another option is to drop her harness and I can hold on to the cart. Cricket knows the distinction between when I am holding the harness and not. An important skill for a guide dog is to be able to not only be aware of her own space but my space also. When she is maneuvering, she needs to make sure there is space for both of us. This is challenging when people are coming in at her from many different directions when it is crowded. Then, there is the challenge of all the food that is dropped on the floor. Cricket is trained to be able to walk past something that has dropped on the floor. As you can imagine, if she lunges for that dropped sample of chicken, she steers me off in a different direction. She's not perfect (me neither, of course) but is a good girl and works through much temptation on the floor in a place like Costco. I generally have a few kibble in my pocket so that I can if I am aware, praise her for her willpower! Parking lots can be tricky and often it is best to drop her harness and walk sighted guide with someone. If we are alone or she is guiding, she will walk in a straight line on the edge of the parked cars. This is another time she is on high alert and busy watching for cars that are coming from all directions.

Our office expansion is SO close to being complete! In the picture above, Cricket is surrounded by plants. In our office, I try to keep live plants as a message of life, hope, and resilience. I choose really easy ones to keep alive. We are having an open house this Thursday. If you live in our area, and would like details: email me at becky.resilient@gmail.com

Celebration

We finished our bike ride last night and I remembered - oh we were about to reach 1000 miles on our speedometer and want to celebrate! (We got this measurement in July so had ridden several hundred before then this year) We ran out to the garage and it is at 995 miles. Whew! We will plan a 5-mile ride (maybe to Sego Lily Cafe) and have a celebration of the miles of laughing, talking, pedaling, enjoying the silence, slowing down to see if the turtle is out, pushing hard uphill, singing whee downhill.

Three-day weekend sounds delightful. The boys may do a hike, more work on the office expansion for our open house next week, painting stairs on our deck, nice long walk with Cricket ... hopefully much time to Celebrate and Enjoy. Hope you have a great weekend.

Therapist's Thoughts on Thursday

Cricket and I are having a great time in our Office Expansion with our Play Room. Do you remember playing with Mr. Potatoe Head? We have one that has a whole family! Do you remember playing with Play Doh? When was the last time you played with blocks and built a tower and then knocked it over? How about drawing a picture on an easel and pretending you are an artist?
Tangle Therapy toys are amazing and such a great de-stresser.   Our clients of all ages are loving these toys and the ability to reduce anxiety through creative play. 

Also, on the agenda today is Running.  Yes!  With my friend, Shannon.  Check out her sweet post about running with me.  I think it is amazing that she would learn about my eyesight and how she can best help our running experience. 

Also, I will be presenting about our office expansion and groups to be offered at a Professional Group in the morning. 

A good, busy day ahead. 

Still Learning

I am having so much fun decorating my office expansion upstairs. I didn't think that as a therapist who is blind that I would still love to create and decorate. For some reason, I thought that was something that I would lose when I lost my vision. Not!  I love the fun of putting it all together -- that bargain file cabinet we found on ksl.com, the shelf from a yard sale, pictures from Ross (I didn't even know they had pictures until my sweet friend found some amazing ones.)  I love the excitement of the other therapists who are loving our expanded space.  I love that we found this butterfly as a basis to work with and then found aspen trees and then found two pictures that blended the colors of the aspen trees PLUS had butterflies in them!  I picture a client sitting in this space and catching their breath as they wait for their appointment.   

I thought that I would quit loving to create fun outfits when I lost my vision. Again, that creativity is indeed there. I love to think of a bracelet that I want to wear for some reason and then build an outfit around that bracelet. Recently, I was thinking of my dear friend, Debi (so excited to get to see her next month). I started out wearing a bracelet she had given me ... that led to designing a whole outfit in my head and then enjoying it for the day. It didn't matter that I couldn't see it in the mirror. I love that my friends still ask me what would look cute with something they are wearing. I thought they would quit asking me when they realized I wasn't seeing them in the outfit.  I love that they pull me into the breakroom and describe their outfit with me!  I used to tell Steve, we'll save money when I can't see as I won't enjoy shopping for clothes, anymore.  Sorry, honey that is not the case.  However, I am being more frugal this year and being creative with what I have.

The other night in yoga during Shavasna (the meditation part of yoga), I visualized an eye, then another eye, followed the visual around and realized it was a lion!  This was intriguing to me because usually I close my eyes and it is black. I thought to myself in this meditative state - what is this lion trying to teach me ... Courage was the word that came to mind.  I am learning more about myself and my courage each day.  I continue to learn that Retinitis Pigmentosa means uncertainty.   One doesn't know when the light will go out.  That's okay - lessons are learned from letting go and embracing our fears as teachers.  I realize life is full of uncertainty.  I was just presented that lesson as a teacher called Retinitis Pigmentosa.  (We each have our teachers in life.)   Some days are hard - most are delightful.   

Is it done yet?

The office expansion is nearing completion. Each time Cricket and I go up there, we love it more. Cricket found it a little boring while Steve assembled the two desks and file cabinet (found a good deal at costco).

(Picture is of Cricket with her paws underneath her chin with a very bored look on her face.)

I found a great deal on two chairs for the waiting area today at overstock.com. Ordered them. Fountain is on backorder. This week: prepare new intake form for the Center, order lettering for the door, find two more chairs office chairs, send out mailing announcing our Center, interview another therapist, finish hanging the wall decor that we have to see what is still needed, and blinds for one office window. (Thanks, Lisa for encouraging me to record our journey.)

What Would You Like to Know?

about the life of a guide dog?

On other notes: the office expansion is coming along nice. My dilemma at the moment is where should my bed go? Should we have our office upstairs or downstairs? (I love running up and down the stairs on off-duty time).

We just ordered a fountain for the waiting area - a place for me to get a drink? No! Steve hung more pictures today. We shared the office space with Becky's 'mom's group' on Monday. They voted for a slumber party here with me of course.

With Love, Cricket

Office Expansion - Defining our Mission

Those of you who have been reading my blog and are interested in my office expansion - thank you! I love your questions and interest. I have wished I had before and after pictures of the journey with our original office. It took much work in painting, recarpeting, etc to even begin to decorate. In that realm, this expansion has been fun and easier. The challenge has been juggling this expansion with a full caseload. It is coming together, one step at a time. I have been asked - now, just what are you doing so I thought I would share a little more on the Vision of our Center.
Resilient Center for Grieving Families: A safe place for families to share while grieving. To offer a safe, caring environment for children, adolescents, and adults to come for support while grieving a death, divorce, disability or other loss.
Our Values
Our grief is unique. Grief is a natural reaction to a loss. Within each of us is the capacity to heal. Our environment of caring and acceptance assists in the healing process.
Our Support for the Families
We offer individual therapy, specialized grief support groups, family sessions, monthly educational evenings, holiday healing events, and outreach educational support.

For several years I have worked as a therapist working with clients of all ages and with various challenges they are experiencing in their life. I will continue to spend time in my private practice at Resilient Solutions, Inc. However, I will be referring more clients to other incredible therapists in my office so that I can spend time developing this Center. A loss is a powerful and emotional experience. Research indicates that three elements are helpful in recovering from a loss: 1) gathering relevant information, 2) talking about your loss, and 3) supporting others who have had a similar experience. I marvel at the power of a group in these elements. To feel like you are not alone is empowering and healing. Our Center will offer many groups including: a mother's group for those experiencing the death of a child, specific adult groups for those expering the death of a spouse, a loved one, a loved one to suicide, pet loss, loss of a physical ability - super excited that my colleague Mindy Huang will co-facilitate this group, also children, pre-teen and teen groups.

I have been working on getting our children room ready. This room will be used for groups as well as some of our therapists who specialize in children will enjoy this room that will give them more access to toys for play therapy. My starting point in decorating is this fun little group of fish on the wall.

The one room that is complete is our adult meeting room. It is simple, versatile and has many options.

Random

Wow. Almost Friday. It seems I was just trying to get geared up for Monday! Tonight one of our therapists had a Psychoeducational Group in our office expansion in the room that can hold 25. Other than the cover for the door, that room is finished.  I was so excited as the people began to come in for this evening!  This room has amazing potential on what will happen in there. My plants at home seemed to turn to silk. At our office, I incorporate live plants and we brought in three new ones last night. I don't know how excited Cricket is about this expansion. However, I know she is enjoying some play time up and down the stairs.

I love the summer heat and enjoy a mid-day walk. Cricket feels it is a bit hot so we have worked out a compromise. We go for our nice long walk and then we take a short break with water in the shade. Goofy picture but as we sit there I just love and appreciate my little companion and the joy and service that she gives to me each day.

We ended our day with a fun bike ride with friends.  Steve is the photog.

Expanding: Not Just a Big Brown Placemat - A Mandala

Recently as I was searching in decorating for our office I found
Francesca , a Colour Life Coach.

I emailed her and she was so kind to share the following and give me permission to share:

Your practice, The Resilient Center for Grieving Families, is a wonderful gift to the community and I wish you much success. While I cannot know the true extent of your unique dynamics, what I can share with you about my passion is colour does not have to be seen to affect us ~ every cell in the body is light-sensitive giving a response to the vibration of colour. Colour has a transformative power unique to each and every one us.
Further conversation included mention of the Big Brown Placemat! Fascinating and I'm turning more of this decorating over to Steve!

Wow!!!! i LOVE your blog. In fact, I read the posts and saw the wall art you refer to as a 'big brown placemat'. Gosh, what struck me about this piece is how it reminds me of a mandala design, specifically the "Flower of Life" or "Seed of Life". Are you familiar with Mandalas? It's something I teach in module 7- Blue, of my Rainbow Program. How interesting Steve came across this find for you. If I can just mention, looking at your wall art, a flower within a circle (which is what I think I can see), connected to other flowers represents creation of life, it's meaning, in it's purist form. Also, representing cell division and the nature of things as they are. Everything that we see (for those of us who can see) or feel, begins with a point of beginning. The center of the flower has a single point, from which petals form and everything radiates out from the point, the center. The point represents the beginning of the soul seed of life from which all comes forth. This made me think about your remarkable work and vision for the office and environment for people who become part of the journey. Anyway, if you take away the petals, there is a circle that actually surrounds this point of beginning, like yourself, you had to start somewhere. The secret symbol for the Flower of Life is 13 circles. For the Seed of Life, 7 circles form a pattern of lenses, the basic component of the Flower of Life design!To elaborate on mandalas, because I did a great deal of research followed up by interviews with mandala artists from around the world, I thought I'd share with you a little about my findings when researching Mandala artist Lindy Longhurst. She created my logo that I use all throughout my coaching practice. In fact, if your interested in listening to our interview together, it's rather long, I'd be happy to send along the audio file.

Who is Lindy Longhurst? Well, Lindy Longhurst is a renowned artist living in Australia.

She began painting and drawing after traveling the world gaining insight and exposure to different cultural and spiritual beliefs. Her personal journey has been and continues to be a reawakening to nature.

Lindy’s mandala art and design themes are heavily influenced and based on a strong connection to the earth. Using natural elements in her work she explores the conscious and subsconscious worlds of dreams and meditation. Her work often expresses the peaceful connection to the earth as well as the possible hidden worlds which are found layered into her mandala creations.
Lindy has completed several series of works based on mandalas and several painted works inspired by images from dreams. Her work can be found exhibited in Australia and Europe and least we forget Lindy has also been published in US and Australian magazines.
She has 3 lines of greeting cards available that are distributed nationally around Australia and Lindy also creates personalized works, welcoming commissions.
Recent commissioned work by Lindy was done to raise money for the Borneo Orangutan Survival Foundation with all proceeds going to the orphan center at Nyaru Mentang.

And finally, Paint-It-Pink mandala art. This project is about incorporating both symbols and the color pink together which represent and support the process of healing and transformation in hopes of a cure for breast cancer.

Lindy says, “Making mandalas is a spontaneous process full of surprise and wonder. It is a natural meditation from which all sorts of symbols, shapes, colours, forms, and themes unravel and combine to provide perfectly integrated and profound stories. Sometimes the themes and elements are well known but often they emerge from somewhere hidden - this combined with the here and now produces little treasures offering insight, joy and wisdom leading to further discovery and inspiration.”

This new insight has me loving my big brown placemat even more.
Tomorrow morning, we will hang a few more pictures in preparation for one of our therapist's presentation in our new conference room on Thursday night. We are creating a teen/children room that will have some fun options. Pictures to follow.

Expansion = Hard Work + Fun

A three-day weekend meant two days to work hard on the expansion of our office. My friend, Suzette, who helped us immensely with the decorating of our office 5 1/2 years ago, and I went to lunch this week. Funny story about our lunch: We were walking through Rumbi's and Cricket stopped and I realized there was another guide dog lying on the floor ... seconds later realized it was a black guide dog ... seconds later realized that the person with this guide dog was my good friend, Rod! We were both with people that didn't recognize us so no one was there to tell us. Suzette helped me to further visualize the office and also shared a store she loves to find bargains for wall hangings, etc: Homegoods. Steve and I went shopping there on Friday and found several pictures. Nature will be one of our basic themes of the office. Steve found this big, looks like a brown placemat, for the wall at Homegoods. We loved it. It was the first nail that we put in the walls that were recently painted. We found a beach scene with a yellow lab that we LOVED. Unfortunately, on closer inspection it had a bubble in the mat so we didn't get it.

We also added a couple more pictures in our brown/turquoise color scheme for the waiting area. This is the current gathering place for pictures.
This has become Cricket's favorite place to hang out while we are hauling pictures, furniture upstairs. It is at the base of the stairs. We found some pictures for my office online . I am really excited for these pictures to come. The seller has a website but you must call her to order so I had the chance to talk to her and hear her story. Her friend is a grief and loss therapist and needed some pictures for her office. Kathy is a graphic designer and created the pictures for her friend and they continue to have requests for them! On Saturday, we also stopped at Costco and bought five more folding chairs for our Adult Group Room. Second Saturday at Costco - hopefully that will not be a pattern. Later we went to Park City to visit World Market, Pier One, Walmart, and yes, Ann Taylor Outlet! (Expansion of the office can be fun) I was thrilled that Steve found a pair of Keene shoes. These are his all-time favorites, and apparently the nonsandal styles have become extremely hard to find. These were on a clearance rack at the back of the store. Score! We were really glad we made the drive. We love Park City. We found a great deal on a brown leather chair and a beautiful Aspen Tree Picture at World Market that will be lovely in our Adult Group Room. All this expansion means Cricket is sharing her space.

Grateful for Steve's (and Crickets) amazing support every step of the way.

Expansion Journey

As mentioned, I told one of my colleagues that I would record my journey of creating my next business. After being a therapist for several years, I started my private practice  five and a half years ago. It has been an amazing journey and I find myself thinking: I am living my dream! There are twelve other therapists in my office and feel so fortunate to have them on our Resilient Team! For a while, I have been feeling like it is time to expand in my area of expertise: Trauma, Grief, and Loss. When the office condo upstairs became available, it felt right. Next dream: Resilient Center for Grieving Families: A Safe place for Families to Share While Healing.

My husband, Steve believes in me and also keeps me grounded.  He wrote up the offer on the office space, and we signed the lease with a three-month opt out (reduced the risk as much as possible).

Next step to begin to visualize the office area and to create the space. This step can feel VERY overwhelming to me as I begin. We walked through the office several times with Steve describing the office space to me, the layout, the coloring on the walls and the carpet. We then walked around several furniture stores and again, I feel OVERWHELM. (We refer to it as deer in headlights look that I get on my face.) Steve is super patient and has become amazing about describing it all. He spent hours visiting different furniture stores without me and then narrowing down a few options for me to check out. Cricket and I go upstairs into the office condo and spend more time exploring the office space and again orienting ourselves to the area. I begin to conceptualize the area more in my head and the ideas begin to flow. On our bike ride, I am able to break down the rooms and what is needed for each room. I can now proceed! We start with taking a few items from our home to the office.

One room will be for our Evenings of Education ad Adult Support Groups. This room needs 20 folding chairs with padding which we buy and this means Cricket must move to the front of the car. Steve finds a picture at Target that will work super. I trust him especially after getting feedback from colleagues that it looks great.

Next step: Invite my dear friend/decorator to lunch and a tour of the office. She is fabulous to be on the lookout for pictures that will fit in just that right spot.

Presentation

The presentation went very well today! Steve took me to the front of the building and I had specific directions on how to find my way inside. The Director met us at our car and the ease of navigating through an unfamiliar building was quickly lifted. Over a wonderful lunch together, I had the opportunity to share my next venture: Resilient Center for Grieving Families. As I walked into the room for the presentation, I was greeted by a lady saying 'that is a really cute purse'. The director and I both laughed and agreed we thought she was going to say really cute dog! I do love this purse that seems to have a pocket for everything. Cricket was an incredible guide and had on her professional face through the experience. I chose to wear my black skirt that I love. It is so comfy and the fabric (rayon, spandex, nylon)is such that dog hair just slides right off. I love the classic button up blouses. This grey blouse is one of my favorites. I have the similar style in short and long sleeve. And then, I wore my favorite black belt. (not surprising, all items from my favorite store: Ann Taylor!) I slipped on my Pantera/Cricket bracelet for good luck as well. (As I searched for a link to my bracelet, I realized I don't have a picture of the finished bracelet -- love it!) Pantera was my guide that helped me walk into a new surrounding with confidence - the graceful, confident one. Cricket is my guide that goes into a new situation with a little adventure and a bounce to her step - the life of the party one.